


Counting Down to You

by sheepsan



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Tour Bus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-03
Updated: 2014-08-27
Packaged: 2018-02-11 12:44:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2068710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheepsan/pseuds/sheepsan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[AU] When Rei gets unceremoniously shoved into taking a tour bus around Europe, the last thing he expects is to meet an overly attached tour guide who insists on calling him cute names. </p><p>He's got two weeks to endure - and he's not sure he'll last.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome aboard!

Ryuugazaki Rei was, if anything, an overachiever. He liked to push himself to the farthest boundaries of his abilities and do an excellent job while at it. He was confident, intelligent, steady. He was a person any of his co-workers could depend on.   
  
He was also running on four hours of sleep and three cups of coffee. Normally, he kept himself healthy with a strict routine, but the past couple weeks of overtime had severely messed it up.   
  
It was as he sat in his office struggling not to doze off that his boss came up to him. Immediately, he straightened.   
  
"Yamazaki-san, how may I help you?" he enquired.  
  
For a moment, his boss simply observed him over his drink. Then, he let out a huge grin that had unease rippling through him.   
  
"Ryuugazaki-san," he started. "You haven't taken any sick days yet, have you?"  
  
"No, sir."  
  
"I expected as much. So I was thinking... you've been working too hard recently. What you need is a vacation."  
  
Rei blinked, startled. "I don't really-"  
  
"It just so happens that the company is offering one for hardworking employees like you All expenses paid, of course," he continued on, as if Rei hadn't spoken at all. "A nice tour bus around Europe. Two weeks."  
  
Rei's brow furrowed as he, again, tried to talk.   
  
"I really must respectfully de–"  
  
"Ryuugazaki-san," his boss said, abruptly seriously. "I've already put your name down."  
  
Rei slumped down in his seat, glancing at the work he still had to do. He sighed.   
  
"If there's no other choice, then I suppose I have to go..."  
  
"Great!" Yamazaki said cheerfully. "Your flight leaves tonight. I'll fax you all the papers you need."  
  
Rei nodded absently, until his boss' words registered in his mind.  
  
"T-tonight?!"  
  


 

* * *

  
  
Rei shoved the last of his clothes in his suitcase, then ran out of the room while checking his watch.   
  
He nearly swore. Grabbing a butterfly lock out of the kitchen drawer, he hastily ran back into the room, zipped up the suitcase, and snapped the lock on. He did a cursory check around the house before zooming out the door and into the elevator.   
  
Rei's foot tapped nervously as he cast another glance at the watch. As soon as the doors dinged open, he zoomed out into the waiting cab.   
  
The ride to the airport seemed to take forever. The can driver made small talk, but Rei could barely spit out more than a couple answers. He was cutting it close.  
  
Finally, they were there. Rei handed over the money, then took his suitcase and bolted to the line up. Signing in and customs passed by in a blur; by the time it was done, he was sprinting for the gate.   
  
It's a good thing I took track in university, was all that was running through his mind, and he almost wanted to laugh at the completely irrelevant thought.  
  
"Last call for flight..." the speakers announced, and he added an extra burst of speed, waving his arms madly at the attendant.  
  
Not beautiful at all, he winced.  
  
She let him pass through, and he slowed to a brisk walk, quickly finding his seat near the back of the plane.  
  
He slumped down into his seat with an exhausted sigh.  
  
12 hours to go.  
  


 

* * *

 

 

  
By the time the plane landed in London, Rei was more than ready to get off. He dragged his sore and stiff body off the plane, through security, and to the baggage claim.   
  
Heaving his bag off the carousel, he double checked the sheet of paper for the meeting place. It was then that some semblance of control began to settle in him, and he took a calming breath.  
  
"I can do this," he muttered to himself.   
  
Heading up the escalator, he glanced around for the bright pink sign proclaiming 'Penguin Tours'. A bit of an odd name, but at least it was easy to remember.   
  
He spotted it almost instantly.   
  
Rei headed over, then tapped the rather short tour guide on the shoulder.  
  
"Excuse me," he said. "I'm here for the tour."  
  
The tour guide turned, and he caught a flash of bright, pink,  _glittering_  eyes before his private space was invaded.   
  
"Hello!" The tour guide exclaimed, standing far too close for Rei's liking. "Hazuki Nagisa at your service! Who're you?"  
  
Rei, startled, could only only dumbly respond, "Ryuugazaki Rei."  
  
Nagisa's eyes lit up, and he positively beamed. "You have a girly name, like me! I'll call you Rei-chan then."  
  
"I'd rather you not," Rei said, adjusting his glasses while getting his bearings.  
  
Nagisa simply barrelled on through the conversation as if he hadn't spoken and Rei had an eerie feeling of déjà vu. "You're the first one here Rei-chan! I'll check you in, and we can wait for the others! We've got about ten minutes left."  
  
 _Oh no_ , Rei thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really shouldn't be writing anymore multi chaps, but they're too good to resist.


	2. Taking Off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and the second chapters up! Sorry for the wait!

By the time the other's started to arrive, Rei was absolutely exhausted. He watched the blond flounce off to sign in everyone else, and heaved a sigh. If he had any doubts on Hazuki-san's ability to be a tour guide, they were now completely and utterly gone. For the past ten minutes, Hazuki-san had, somehow or another, managed a constant stream of chatter about every inane topic under the sun. He went from swimming to strawberry shortcakes to his family and then back to sweets without so much as a pause.   
  
He had barely been able to get a word in otherwise, but it was tiring just trying to keep up with the random switches in conversation. And he _still_ wouldn't stop calling him _Rei-chan_.  
  
By the time everyone was settled and good to go, Hazuki-san had already pulled out the pink flag, waving it cheerfully in the air.  
  
"Alright, everyone," he beamed. "Let's get going!"  
  
He led the way out of the airport and to the sidewalk, where a tour bus awaited them. The storage doors were open, and a rather short man with silvery hair stood beside them, waiting.   
  
"Oh, Ai-chan!" Hazuki-san exclaimed. "Thanks for getting everything ready!"  
  
'Ai-chan's' mutter of, "Please don't call me that," went ignored as Hazuki-san continued talking.   
  
"Everyone, just leave your luggage here for Ai-chan to put inside. Although he looks weak, he's done this tons of times! You can enter the bus once you're done. Just sit wherever you'd like, except the front seat, cause that's for me!"  
  
Rei, at the front of the crowd, immediately set his suitcase down, and strode to the steps leading up. He quickly examined the interior, before selecting a seat in the front. It, according to his calculations, would have the smoothest ride. He could catch up on some much needed sleep there.  
  
Decision made, Rei set his backpack on the ground in front of him, and settled into the seat.   
  
It was actually quite comfortable, and didn't smell at all like cigarette smoke, which was always a bonus. There also wasn't a washroom at the back to leak the smell of urine inside. There was even a pocket in the seat in front of him. It would be perfect... except for the ridiculous pink colour of the seats.   
  
He sighed. There was nothing to be done for it.   
  
The rest of the tourists filed in, chatter beginning to fill the large bus. They came in pairs, in families, in small groups – rather belatedly, he realized he was the only one alone. But it was of no concern to him. He had spent the majority of his life by himself, and he was perfectly content being alone.   
  
It wasn't until everyone settled that both Ai-chan-san and Hazuki-san climbed on as well. As the driver started the engine, Hazuki-san grabbed the microphone and started speaking in a chirpy voice.   
  
"Okay, and were off! We're headed for Amsterdam first, passing right through France and Belgium on the way! Make sure you don't fall asleep for this folks, cause there'll be plenty to take pictures of!"  
  
There was a brief silence filled with only the rustling of bags as they grabbed their phones and cameras. Hazuki-san waited for a moment, and then continued.   
  
"But still, it'll be a while 'til we get there, so I'll introduce myself first! We'll be together for two weeks, so in sure we'll all get to know each other better in that time!"  
  
Was Rei just imagining it, or did Hazuki-san just wink in his direction here?  
  
"And so, my name is Hazuki Nagisa, but you can all call me Nagisa!"  
  
Giggles filled the bus with whispers of _'Nagisa?'_ travelling around the bus. Rei didn't say anything, only more than self-conscious about his own girly name. Hazuki-san seemed to be used to this response, and he waited for it to die down before talking again.   
  
"Unfortunate name right? I don't think my parents were thinking straight after having my three sisters," he said, shaking his head.   
  
He chatted about himself for a bit more before introducing the driver as 'Nitori Aichirou'.   
  
Rei could tell Hazuki-san was slowly winning over the occupants on the bus. His bubbly personality along with his immense amounts of charm truly made him into a splendid tour guide. Everyone seemed to love him, and really _was_ knowledgeable about the places they were going to visit and the history around it. He didn't make it boring either. Even the kids were enjoying his stories.   
  
He looked like he belonged up there, glittering with all eyes on him. 

 

* * *

 

It was during a brief lull that Hazuki-san sat down for a bit.  
  
Right next to him, in fact.   
  
Rei eyed him from the corner of his eye.   
  
"Hazuki-san," he finally greeted.   
  
"Don't be so cold Rei-chan!" He exclaimed, grinning. "Call me Nagisa! Hazuki-san makes me sound so old!"  
  
"Please don't regard me with such familiarity."  
  
It went ignored, like the last time.   
  
"So how d'you like the tour so far?" he piped up cheerfully, leaning closer to him. Rei shifted closer to the window, then tilted his head in thought. "I haven't experienced enough to give a proper response to that question."  
  
Hazuki-san laughed. "No need to be so formal!"  
  
"I disagree with that," Rei replied.   
  
"I'll definitely change your mind about that by the end of this trip!" Hazuki-san said, beaming up at him. Rei raised an eyebrow, taken aback, but he flounced off to the front of the bus again before he could respond. 


End file.
